The social environment you create for your team will impact girls’ enjoyment of sport & their level of engagement. Belonging will allow your participants to feel safe enough to take risks in the pursuit of improvement.

In building an inclusive & safe environment, we all have to DIVE in:

• Destigmatize: De-stigmatize difference through the use of inclusive language. Be inclusive of all racial identities, religious affiliations, abilities, sexual orientations, sizes, statuses, & family structures. (e.g.: guys everyone, your parents your grown-ups, go crazy ramp it up, etc.).
• Integrate: Integrate the diversity of needs on your team in your planning & program design process. Plan for different learning styles (brief description/explanation, metaphors, visuals, demonstration, etc.). Consider cultural/holiday occasions that may impact participants (eg. fasting during holidays). Offer variations to decrease/increase intensity or challenge, then watch to see who opts for what level of difficulty & use this info to adjust. *If you are coaching a territorial sport such as hockey, soccer or basketball, shrink the field of play to promote decision making versus endurance.*
• Value: Value diverse groups through intentional celebration. Maybe invite guest coaches, attend a parasport competition with your team, or hold a viewing party for a women’s sport competition that wouldn’t likely receive primary coverage in the media.
• Engage: Engage diverse groups wherever possible in the inclusion process. Find an appropriate time to learn from your participants & their parents/guardians about how they feel best supported (entry/exit survey?!).